Year: 2014

Kaieteur News gets severe blows for engaging in “gutter journalism”

TIMES INT'L

Kaieteur News Publisher Glenn Lall continues to be denounced for his alleged illegal recording of a conversation between one of his r–eporters and Attorney General Anil Nandlall. Already several persons and organisation have condemned the recent act by Lall, who admitted that he tapes the conversation of his reporters. The Attorney General has since filed court actions against Lall and also sued him, his Editor Adam Harris and his newspaper outfit for libellous publications arising from the tape. Since the surreptitious recording of the Attorney General, several public officials have…

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AFC, APNU advance coalition talks

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A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has approached the Alliance For Change (AFC) to form a broad coalition, but a response from the small party is still pending. The proposal was renewed during a meeting held last week between the two Opposition parties. This was confirmed by Opposition Leader David Granger on Friday during his weekly press conference at his Hadfield Street Office. “The matter was raised… and I would say the ball is now in the AFC’s court,” Granger told reporters, noting that the AFC has not given any…

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President threatens early polls in face of No-Confidence Vote

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– Parliament to reconvene on Monday Just days after declaring that it would be “foolish” of him to call Local Government Elections, President Donald Ramotar Tuesday night declared his intention to hold those polls “in the second quarter of next year.” However, he said this is contingent on whether the opposition rams through its No-Confidence Motion against his administration. In that eventuality, he would use his powers to prorogue or dissolve Parliament, paving the way for fresh General Elections. While both options would precipitate General Elections, in proroguing Parliament the…

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Packed agenda for Parliamentary sitting

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With President Donald Ramotar setting Monday, November 10 for the first post-recess sitting, the Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaac on Wednesday moved to notify the 65-Member Parliament, supplying each with the Order Paper. A packed agenda has been set for the 89th Sitting of the National Assembly but on the 33-page Order Paper, the No-Confidence Motion against the Government of Guyana has found itself down at the bottom of Page 23. In addition to the presentation of 21 papers and reports by Members of the House, the A…

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Tourism Ministry’s ‘homecoming’ seeking to attract 100,000 Guyanese migrants

TIMES INT'L

Tourism Awareness Month 2014 was launched Friday evening with the aim of raising awareness of the country’s tourism potential, as the Government continues to promote tourism as a sector that has potential for significant economic growth. The 20th Tourism Awareness Month was launched under the theme: “Tourism entrepreneur and ambassadors mobilised”. The tourism ambassador programme is not unique to Guyana, but is patterned after a Trinidad model. Speaking during the launch at the Amerindian Village located in the Sophia Exhibition Complex, Tourism Minister (ag) Irfaan Ali stressed on the need…

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Heartening that Guyana is off the hook with FATF blacklisting

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Dear Editor, I am very much relieved to learn that Guyana is off the hook as regards the FATF blacklisting – at least for now. A GINA report stated that this was largely due to the high-level of commitment of the Government, coupled with demonstrated actions made to address the technical deficiencies identified in the country’s AML/CFT regime. However, Guyana will have to continue to be subjected to an “ongoing process in improving compliance” to ensure that it discharges its obligations under the Action Plan which was worked out with…

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Education, awareness can help prevent suicides

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Dear Editor, I have been reading lately that Guyana has the highest rate of suicides in the world. Most of these cases involved ingesting of insecticides or pesticides. The word insecticides or pesticides refers to the destruction of humans. However, mankind is now fighting the battle with chemical pesticides to solve their problems. All pesticides contain the active ingredients, that is, the chemicals that do the killing of people. They should be carefully controlled by the distributors and Government. The country should have its regulatory and technical requirements enshrined in…

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China’s endorsement of EITI process is to our advantage

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Dear Editor, The China Chamber of Commerce for Mining, Metals and Chemicals – a Chinese Government-affiliated body – recently launched a set of voluntary Guidelines for Chinese mineral companies that operate mining projects outside of China. The move by China provides an enormous boost for efforts worldwide to bring Governments in line with global transparency standards, in particular the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), the Dodd-Frank Act Section 1504, as well as the European Union (EU) Directives. Locally, this announcement, reported by Global Witness, a major international monitoring organization, represents…

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Our country could be the best if all citizens work together in harmony

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Dear Editor, It would be a useful exercise if all of us who are interested in harmony and progress in our country, as well as the well-being of our citizens, should undertake to consider what each of us in the various levels of our society should be doing to really achieve these seemingly illusive goals. This would, first of all, call for introspection and self-examination of what we have been doing for and against the achievement of these. Towards this end, I set forward some of the obligations that should…

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Norway clears US$35M for Guyana

TIMES INT'L

The Government of Norway on Friday announced the latest payment under the Guyana-Norway forests and climate change partnership of US$35 million. Norway will pay Guyana the US$35 million for the global climate services provided by its forest during 2012. The latest payment will bring total funds earned under the Partnership to US$150 million. In an address to the nation, President Donald Ramotar said the announcement by Norway is also a strong rebuttal to those who have tried for several years to kill the Low Carbon Development Strategy and the Guyana-Norway…

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